Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell announced that Pennsylvania is seeking
creative and profitable ways to reduce the amount of organic waste going
to landfills, while encouraging businesses to increase the use of composted
organic materials in finished products.

“About one-third of what goes into our landfills is organic waste,
such as grass clippings, leaves and food scraps,” said Governor Rendell
as he announced nearly $366,000 in strategic state investments to six organizations
across the state.

The funding is from the Compost Infrastructure Development
Grant Program and helps for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations
incorporate organic materials into manufactured products. It also increases
the amount of organic material processed at composting facilities.

The grants, which can go up to $100,000 for each project,
are leveraged to attract additional investment from private entities and
community organizations. This year’s recipients will invest more than $91,000 additionally to
support these projects.

Cumberland County, Dickinson College - $93,000 for equipment that
will enable the campus farm to expand and accept organic materials from
new sources, including campus cafeterias, coffee shops and local businesses.
The grant will allow the college to compost an additional 91,000 pounds
of material annually. The finished compost will be used on the campus farm,
which grows fresh produce that is used in the campus dining halls.

Jefferson County, Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country
Living Inc. - $17,662 for equipment to start on-site vermicomposting at
a local restaurant. The nonprofit group expects to compost 168 cubic yards
of organic materials annually.

Montgomery County, Two Particular Acres - $91,893 for equipment
that will allow this family-owned farm to receive additional food wastes
from hotels, hospitals and grocery stores. The farm will compost 10,000
cubic yards of material annually. Additional equipment will mechanically
remove plastics that contaminate the feedstock, resulting in a higher quality
finished product with greater market value.

Schuylkill County, Red Earth Farm - $20,533 for equipment that
will allow this community-supported agriculture farm to accept organic
materials from additional local businesses. The farm plans to compost 2,000
additional cubic yards of material annually.

Tioga County, Keystone North Inc. - $87,289 to develop and build
a vermicomposting system to be demonstrated at Mansfield University, which
does not currently compost the food waste generated on campus. The company
expects to compost 164 tons of food waste annually at the university. The
resulting compost material will be sold and could generate up to $2,000
per week. Additional vermicomposting systems will be manufactured and sold
based on market demand.